Soldiers and Volunteers Testify to ‘Rushed and Chaotic Withdrawal from Afghanistan’

On March 8, House members heard the stories of pain, courage, and the continuing search for justice. This was as the August 2021 US departure from Afghanistan was announced.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee heard emotional testimony that highlighted a sad truth. Many who were in Afghanistan felt they, and their Afghan friends, had been left out in the cold. This led to a widespread sense of despair.

This was made clear during a conversation between Rep. Brian Mast (R. Fla.), one the many veterans of military on the committee and Marine Sergeant Tyler Vargass-Andrews.

Vargas-Andrews’ Marine Corps Scout sniper team was sent to what was then Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul, where he described a scene of chaos and horror as tens of thousands of Afghans descended on the airport, seeking to flee the Taliban.

“Some Afghans turned away from HKIA tried to kill themselves on the razor wire we used as a deterrent. They thought this was merciful compared to the Taliban torture they faced,” He testified.

Vargas and Andrews survived the suicide bombing at U.S. Airport on Aug. 26, killing 13 servicemen and more than 160 Afghan civilians.

As he thought back to the terrible events that had occurred on that fateful day, he broke down.

Vargas-Andrews stated that intelligence had already disseminated information about a suicide bomber and his accomplice before the attack.

He testified that, prior to the attack, he and another servicemember had spotted two men who fit those descriptions—an impression that was confirmed by others at the airport.

Vargas-Andrews said that when he attempted to obtain permission to fire upon the suicide bomber, his commander in battalion couldn’t verify if he was allowed to do so. The suspect eventually vanished into the crowd.

“To this day, we believe he was the suicide bomber,” Vargas-Andrews testified.

“Have you ever been interviewed by any part of the United States government about what you witnessed on the frontline?” Mast is asked.

“Not by a single individual or organization,” Vargas-Andrews responded.

Mast rattled off name and number after name. The Pentagon, the Marine Corps, the State Department, the CIA, the FBI—none of them wanted to hear from him about what he witnessed on the ground?

There were no replies after the other.

The representative said that the experience made him feel like his military service was over. “not valued.”

Vargas-Andrews, along with other witnesses, nodded as Rep. Mark Green (R. Tenn.), asked them if they knew of any arms comrades who had died since August 2021. “because they felt like it was all for nothing.”

“The blood of those men and women’s hands are on the president, period,” Green was a combat veteran in Afghanistan.

Green told his colleagues just now that President Joe Biden has overruled the senior Pentagon officials with which he had spoken. These officials had wanted to see the Bagram Air Base withdrawal.

“Those leaders told the president ‘we need 3,500 soldiers’ to guard the base for the exfil [exfiltration]. According to those generals, in a room at the White House, the president himself said, ‘No, go to 600 troops,'” Green stated.

“With 600 you can’t hold Bagram, so the decision to exfil from Kabul became necessary,” He concluded.

The Epoch Times reached the Department of Defense to get their comments.

Allies ‘Not Forgotten’

Others testified about the dire situation of Afghan allies, whether they are in Afghanistan or abroad.

Francis Q. Hoang was a West Point grad who served in ex-Yugoslavia in the 1990s. He said, “The United States has always been there.” “rushed and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan” It violated the trust of people it had taken vows to protect

Hoang, who was 2 years of age at the time when his family were airlifted to Vietnam from Vietnam was the Fall Of Saigon. At that point more than 100,000 Southeast Asians had been loyal during Vietnam War were relocated.

“We have not forgotten you,” He pledged U.S. support for Afghanistan.

Democrats spoke out against the Biden administration and criticized the Republicans. The initial Al Qaeda hunt after September 11th morphed into a nation-building effort that spanned four administrations.

Rep. Sara Jacobs (D.Calif.), criticized the committee, noting that it hadn’t provided sufficient funding for the State Department. After decades of switching control from both sides, Congress was unable to vote on the war.

They advised Republicans not to be as partisan and slammed former President Donald Trump. Their argument was that Trump’s Doha deal with Taliban as well as his refugee policies made the withdrawal even more complicated.

“These policy decisions not only altered the balance of power and reduced U.S. leverage in Afghanistan but created incredibly difficult circumstances as we worked to bring allies to safety and the U.S. war in Afghanistan to a close,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., is the ranking member of this committee.

Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) The issues in Afghanistan involved both sides, acknowledged Rep. French Hill (R. Ark.). However, he was still puzzled by the inability of the Biden Administration to come up with a solid evacuation plan between January 2020 and August 2021.

Hill pointed out that the committee was particularly suspicious of classified intelligence briefings that were given in Summer and Spring 2021, which purportedly outlined such a plan.

“We may well not have had any choice but to leave. But how you leave is a choice—and it could have been done, in my view, in an extraordinarily more effective manner.”